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Who smokes and why do they do it?
When tobacco was introduced into Europe, Asia and Africa in the 16th century, religious and government leaders from England to Japan tried to keep citizens from smoking, using bans, taxes and punishment to no avail.
After realizing they couldn’t stop it, many governments went into the business of selling tobacco. This was good for their coffers and high birth rates meant a steady stream of new customers to replace the ones who smoked themselves to death.
The connection between tobacco-use and lung cancer was formally made in the 1920s and has since been verified hundreds of times over. Research also has uncovered links to other cancers and diseases — everything from pancreatic cancer to Alzheimer’s.
With all its negative press, why do people still smoke?
Part of the answer is that nicotine is incredibly addictive, much more so than heroin. It’s even more addictive to kids. The vast majority of smokers first lit up in their teens.
Chemicals in nicotine react with receptors in the brain, increasing heart rate, memory and alertness, and producing measurably faster reaction times. These chemicals also create sensations of pleasure and reward.
Physical addiction to nicotine is accompanied by psychological addiction. Pleasurable sensations keep smokers smoking and avoidance of a litany of withdrawal symptoms keeps them from quitting.
With increased education and new smoking cessation strategies, the average number of smokers has fallen steadily since the 1950s, but the numbers are still high enough that 440,000 Americans die from diseases directly linked to tobacco use. Another 49,000 nonsmoking Americans die each year from secondhand smoke, which also is killing an untold number of pets each year.
A chart book called “Cigarette Smoking Prevalence and Policies in the 50 States: An Era of Change” was written to answer some of the questions associated with tobacco use state by state — who smokes and what is being done to help them stop. The book was written by the Departments of Health Behavior at the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute and published by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation.
Who still smokes? According to a 2007 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, statistically, the average smoker is more likely to be male, white, poor, undereducated and younger than 65.
Smoking rates also vary by occupation. According to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, published by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, 44.7 percent of food service workers smoke, while only 12.3 percent of teachers and librarians do.
Rates by occupation also vary by gender and age. In seven of the 22 occupation categories surveyed, females outnumbered males, and in every occupation there are more smokers between the ages of 18-25 than any other age group.
What about Colorado? According to the chart book, Colorado ranks 15th in the number of adult smokers at 17.5 percent. This is significantly lower than Kentucky, which ranked highest at 28.2 percent, and slightly lower than the national average of 18.5 percent but not nearly as low as the averages in Utah, 12.4 percent, and California, 12.6 percent.
When it comes to Colorado teens, the good news is that only 18.7 percent of high school students reported smoking in 2005 compared to 23 percent nationwide. The bad news is that 18.7 percent of high school students reported smoking that year.
More good news, 60.6 percent of former Colorado smokers quit by 2006, and 92.1 percent of adult Coloradans live in smoke-free homes.
Why do young people start smoking? According to the World Health Organization, between 80,000 and 100,000 children worldwide start smoking every day for a variety of reasons, including:
One or both parents smoke.
People they admire smoke.
Teens find acceptance by peers if they smoke.
Mass media tobacco campaigns work.
Teens feel invincible or that they can stop at anytime, so why not try it?
Teens think tobacco will help them lose weight, reduce stress, etc.
Smoking is a forbidden adult activity.
Next week we’ll look at never starting and factors in successful cessation.
After realizing they couldn’t stop it, many governments went into the business of selling tobacco. This was good for their coffers and high birth rates meant a steady stream of new customers to replace the ones who smoked themselves to death.
The connection between tobacco-use and lung cancer was formally made in the 1920s and has since been verified hundreds of times over. Research also has uncovered links to other cancers and diseases — everything from pancreatic cancer to Alzheimer’s.
With all its negative press, why do people still smoke?
Part of the answer is that nicotine is incredibly addictive, much more so than heroin. It’s even more addictive to kids. The vast majority of smokers first lit up in their teens.
Chemicals in nicotine react with receptors in the brain, increasing heart rate, memory and alertness, and producing measurably faster reaction times. These chemicals also create sensations of pleasure and reward.
Physical addiction to nicotine is accompanied by psychological addiction. Pleasurable sensations keep smokers smoking and avoidance of a litany of withdrawal symptoms keeps them from quitting.
With increased education and new smoking cessation strategies, the average number of smokers has fallen steadily since the 1950s, but the numbers are still high enough that 440,000 Americans die from diseases directly linked to tobacco use. Another 49,000 nonsmoking Americans die each year from secondhand smoke, which also is killing an untold number of pets each year.
A chart book called “Cigarette Smoking Prevalence and Policies in the 50 States: An Era of Change” was written to answer some of the questions associated with tobacco use state by state — who smokes and what is being done to help them stop. The book was written by the Departments of Health Behavior at the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute and published by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation.
Who still smokes? According to a 2007 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, statistically, the average smoker is more likely to be male, white, poor, undereducated and younger than 65.
Smoking rates also vary by occupation. According to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, published by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, 44.7 percent of food service workers smoke, while only 12.3 percent of teachers and librarians do.
Rates by occupation also vary by gender and age. In seven of the 22 occupation categories surveyed, females outnumbered males, and in every occupation there are more smokers between the ages of 18-25 than any other age group.
What about Colorado? According to the chart book, Colorado ranks 15th in the number of adult smokers at 17.5 percent. This is significantly lower than Kentucky, which ranked highest at 28.2 percent, and slightly lower than the national average of 18.5 percent but not nearly as low as the averages in Utah, 12.4 percent, and California, 12.6 percent.
When it comes to Colorado teens, the good news is that only 18.7 percent of high school students reported smoking in 2005 compared to 23 percent nationwide. The bad news is that 18.7 percent of high school students reported smoking that year.
More good news, 60.6 percent of former Colorado smokers quit by 2006, and 92.1 percent of adult Coloradans live in smoke-free homes.
Why do young people start smoking? According to the World Health Organization, between 80,000 and 100,000 children worldwide start smoking every day for a variety of reasons, including:
One or both parents smoke.
People they admire smoke.
Teens find acceptance by peers if they smoke.
Mass media tobacco campaigns work.
Teens feel invincible or that they can stop at anytime, so why not try it?
Teens think tobacco will help them lose weight, reduce stress, etc.
Smoking is a forbidden adult activity.
Next week we’ll look at never starting and factors in successful cessation.
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